A US Navy destroyer fired three warning shots at four Iranian
fast-attack vessels after they closed in at a high rate of speed
near the Strait of Hormuz, two US defense officials told Reuters
on Monday.

The incident, which occurred Sunday and was first reported by
Reuters, comes as US President-elect Donald Trump prepares to
take office on Jan. 20. In September, Trump vowed that any
Iranian vessels that harass the US Navy in the Gulf would be
"shot out of the water."

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the
USS Mahan established radio communication with the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps boats but they did not respond to
requests to slow down and continued asking the Mahan questions.

The Navy destroyer fired warning flares and a US Navy helicopter
also dropped a smoke float before the warning shots were fired.

The Iranian vessels came within 900 yards (800 meters) of the
Mahan, which was escorting two other US military ships, they
said.

The IRGC and Trump transition team were not immediately available
for comment.

Years of mutual animosity eased when Washington lifted sanctions
on Tehran last year after a deal to curb Iran's nuclear
ambitions. But serious differences still remain over Iran's
ballistic missile program as well as conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

One official said similar incidents occur occasionally.

Most recently in August, another US Navy ship fired warning shots
towards an Iranian fast-attack craft that approached two US
ships.

In January 2016, Iran freed 10 US sailors after briefly detaining
them in the Gulf.

The official added that the warning shots fired on Sunday were
just one of seven interactions the Mahan had with Iranian vessels
over the weekend, but the others were judged to be safe.

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